ITB – (CORPORATE) SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

ITB Berlin is actively aware of tourism’s responsibilities to society as a whole and believes in tourism development which attempts to sustain human dignity, security and justice for all actors involved.The “Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria” as developed by the United Nations Foundation, the RainforestAlliance, the UNEP and the UNWTO (gstcouncil.org) give the direction.

As the Leading Trade Show for the travel industry ITB Berlin sees itself as a link between research and science,between companies, markets and societies. It utilizes this key position in order to actively encourage research and to engage in a dialogue with companies in their efforts to create economically, socially and ecologi-cally responsible tourism products and services. CSR is not a trendy topic but is social necessity as well as precondition for long-term economic success and the competitiveness of business enterprises.

ITB Berlin undertakes, understands and encourages Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as an overarchingconcept for sustainable development in tourism.

ALL-THE-YEAR INVOLVEMENT IS AN ITB MATTER OF COURSE:

In 2011 ITB Berlin had signed the Child Protection Code which stands up for children’s rights and speaks out against sexual exploitation of children especially in tourism. ITB supports ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking of Children) in sensitising and informing tourist stakeholders as well as travellers on sexual exploitation and on measures against it. The Code of Conduct against Sexual Exploitation of Children has introduced clear guidelines and reporting procedures (thecode.org). ITB Berlin is the first trade show to have signed The Code and is member of its Board of Directors.

In 2014 ITB also signed the commitment to Human Rights in Tourism and became a founding member of the Roundtable Human Rights in Tourism (menschenrechte-im-tourismus.net/en/). ITB is actively involved in helping to raise international awareness for human rights issues.

Additionally, ITB Berlin has signed a commitment to foster the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics (unwto.org/code_ethics/eng/global.htm).

itb-berlin.de/csr

Since 2009, the comprehensive ITB CSR – Sustainable Tourism Day is part of the ITB Berlin Convention. Brand-new results, best practise examples, inter-branch experiences and current reports are presented and proposals for an active social engagement in tourism are given on a large scale.The ITB Future Day, Hospitality Day or Destination Days of the ITB Convention and other events also host panels encouraging responsible travel.

Traditionally, there is a multiplicity of information, speeches and events on climate change, ecology and sustainable tourism in hall 4.1 (Adventure & Responsible Tourism segment) on both of the stages. Each year we exclusively produce a compact ITB Responsible Tourism print- and online Program to offer an overview of the wide range of related events.

ITB is co-organising seminars and Responsible Tourism Networking Events with its Responsible Tourism Partner The Blue Yonder at ITB Berlin, ITB Asia and several other tourism trade shows globally. The renown Responsible Tourism Networking Event is a must each year at ITB Berlin on Friday evening.

During ITB Asia an information desk on sustainability is offering information about ITB‘s partners, international associations, networks and activities.

On demand ITB is also organizing ITB Academy online or onsite seminars on socially responsible tourism, incl. LGBT Travel, and ITB‘s commissioner for CSR is frequently speaking at international events.

ITB

The ITB team members admit their all-over social responsibility and have established socially and environmentally agreeable business travel rules, in accordance with Messe Berlin GmbH. The intention is not to abandon mobility but to support ‘intelligent mobility’.

Messe Berlin GmbH has also developed measures for environmental protection and its energy management system is certified according to DIN EN ISO 50001.(itb-berlin.de/media/itb/itb_media/itb_pdf/Csr_messeberlin.PDF).

ITB Berlin recommends public transportation in Berlin and has furthermore developed a convenient bus shuttle service for exhibitors and visitors from hotels to the fairground to avoid taxi drives.

The Exhibitor Service Manual as well as any other order forms are primarily available online to avoid paper waste; instead of a catalogue ITB provides a „Virtual Marketplace“. All unavoidable non-digital promotional material is printed on environmentally-friendly paper.

Special identified boxes at the departure gates invite exhibitors and visitors to recycle tickets & batches.

ITB-Messe Berlin exhibitors are recommended to order reusable stand building material made of renewable primaryproducts. An online exhibitor manual provides clues how to exhibit in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

If you would like to receive further information about the CSR involvement of ITB, please contactMrs. Rika Jean-François · jeanfrancois@messe-berlin.de · CSR Commissioner ITB Berlin · itb-berlin.com/csr

ITB Berlin in cooperation with National Geographic Traveler organizes the ITB-National Geographic World Legacy Awards for sustainable tourism initiatives in five categories (nationalgeographic/worldlegacyawards). The prices are solemnly awarded during ITB at the ITB Convention.

ITB Berlin actively supports the Institute for Tourism and Development (Studienkreis für Tourismus und Entwicklung) and is member of the jury of the TO DO! Competition, an international contest for socially responsible tourism, conducted according to acknowledged responsible tourism criteria. ITB Berlin also advances the TOURA D’OR Film Price which honours film productions which stand for a socially responsible, environmentally compatible tourism.

Through cooperation with atmosfair, ITB Berlin gives all visitors and exhibitors the chance to immediately improve their climate footprint when purchasing their online ITB tickets. Visitors and exhibitors can directly offset the CO2 emissions of their flights in UN-certified carbon offset projects at the ITB Berlin website: itb-berlin.de/TravelInfo. It goes without saying that all business trips of ITB staff members are compensated as well.

Involvement and and active participation, e. g. as panelist, in several CSR events and conferences is part of the all-the-year commitment. Thus ITB Berlin cooperates with The Global Ecotourism Network (GEN), with ATTA, GSTC, the PATA Sustainability Committee and several other organisations like the IGLTA (International Gay&Lesbian Travel Association) and is also member of the Board of Directors of the IGLTA Foundation. The ITB Academy is organizing online- or onsite seminars related to responsible tourism or LGBT Travel all over the world.

ITB Berlin also supports local social initiatives like „Berlin HIV Help“ (Berliner Aidshilfe e.V.), „Berliner Kältehilfe“ which provides shelter for homeless people in the winter as well as “Social Heroes“ (Sozialhelden e.V.), who try to sensitize fellow humans for social engament and fight for accessibility.

Another ITB supported project is „Wings of Help“: A non-profit, industry-driven initiative which uses e.g. idle cargo areas of aircrafts to fly relief supplies to areas of conflicts.

Immediate aid through charity and donations at the ITB Berlin fair grounds among the exhibitors and visitors for carefully selected social aid projects of the respective ITB Berlin Partner Country or disaster struck regions are elsewise an important additional element of ITB Berlin’s CSR concept. The aim is to help people to help themselves.

Get active today – no time to wait!

A W A R D S

WORLD LEGACY

as per August 2016